Melanie Martinez’s debut album Crybaby is an infectious foray into her storybook world of catchy hooks and childlike horror. Underneath the slick beats and beyond the sugary lyrics involving playthings such as dollhouses, teddy bears and carnivals lies a fascinating and darkly imagined world of murder, madness and warped relationships.

We’re only two episodes in, but this season of American Horror Story is already looking promising as the best one thus far. As you may or may not know, each season American Horror Story takes up an entirely new storyline and set of characters around the theme of horror, with previous seasons involving things like haunted houses, insane asylums and witches. Fittingly enough given the show’s dark subject matter and the month it’s premiering in, one of this season’s current subplots is arguably the creepiest yet (for all you coulrophobes out there: it involves a killer clown). But perhaps more intriguing is the main plot which revolves around a “freak show” circus act in the 1950s struggling to get off the ground and attract a real following. With this the show brings up a host of interesting ideas and challenges about normativity (what one considers standard and “normal” physical appearances, lifestyles and behaviors in society), as well as representation of the non-normative on television today. If you’re all caught up with AHS or don’t mind spoilers, read ahead to find out how.